Boston-Area Couple Charged with Sex Trafficking of a Child

BOSTON—A Boston-area couple was arrested today and charged with sex trafficking a child.

David Minasian, 24, of Malden, and Madonna Say, 23, of Lynn, were charged via federal complaint with sex trafficking of a child and sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion.

According to the affidavit, the investigation revealed that in July 2012, Minasian transported a 15-year-old girl to Florida and caused her to engage in prostitution. After returning to Massachusetts, Minasian and Say photographed the victim wearing revealing lingerie and posing in provocative positions. Minasian and Say then posted these photographs to the adult section of Backpage.com with advertisements soliciting customers for “escort services.” Backpage.com is an Internet site used for advertising commercial sex activity. Customers who responded to the advertisements were directed to where Minasian and Say were staying with the victim to have sex for a fee with her. Minasian and Say also transported the victim to motels inside Massachusetts where they paid for rooms for the purposes of prostituting her.

On the charge of sex trafficking of a child, the statutory minimum penalty is 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. On the charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, the statutory minimum penalty is 15 years, followed by five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Child Exploitation Task Force, which is composed of members from the FBI, Massachusetts State Police, the Malden Police Department, and the Arlington Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Foley in Ortiz’s Civil Rights Enforcement Team.